Why The IoT Cyber Improvement Act Is Important To Businesses

The proposed IOT Cyber Improvement Act is very important to business. It’s an effort to ensure that there is an advancement of security standards for all the connected devices that the government or its agencies purchase.

This bill is highly likely to stimulate enhanced security for ITO deployments throughout non-government bodies as well. The proposed ACT of 2019 is sponsored cooperatively by Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democratic Party representative and Will Hurd, a Texas Republican Party representative.

What The Bill Is All About

The IoT Cyber security Improvement Act of 2019 would necessitate that National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) provide standard procedures and protocols that determine the safe advancement, structure and administration of IOT devices.

It would also address the need for the federal government to adhere to the NIST specifications. More importantly, the Bill would have far reaching implications should it be passed and turned into law.

Security professionals are of the opinion that it would ramp up and enhance IoT security in the entire private sector.

Speed To Market Negates Cyber Security

Leaders in the business sector that concerns security, are of the opinion that improvements are necessary for IoT security. Especially because vendors are more concerned with the speed with which IoT products get to the market.

At the same time, enterprise leaders have to act with speed to take advantage of IoT deployments. Both times, the need for speed takes precedence over the issues that require the addressing of security apprehensions.

In recent times unease over these security issues have begun to gather an increased scrutiny. In the last few years, many people in the industry have been talking about the need to pay attention to the problem.

Others have been of the opinion that NIST is the right body to spearhead the setting up of security standards.

The Cause And Ripple Effect On Business

Most believe that as a result of government intervention, there would be a cause and effect relationship in the business world. This would help in improving product security for consumers as well as the business sector.

Most believe that if there was government intervention, this would provide suitable and applicable security leadership and direction to Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) as well as other executives in different bodies or entities.

At the moment, most CISO’s are facing difficulties in coming to terms with the level of security that is sufficient. In the past, when IoT security has not been sufficiently strong, the results have been unpleasant.

For example, during the Mirai botnet attacks, malware exploited security susceptibility in network devices. This brought about an extensive denial of service attacks. In turn, this meant that most of the US East Coast was without access to the internet.

Emerging Security Standards For IoT

While most businesses in the IoT industry have always left security issues on the back burner, the IoT community has begun to wake up to the realities in their industry.

Vendors and executives have been working on IoT initiatives and efforts that can bring regulation or address matters that concern security and privacy.

This has been very beneficial. It has allowed for an emerging consensus in standards, best practices and regulations for IoT security. The California IoT device law, also referred to as SB-327 is a good example.

What the IoT Cyber Security Improvement Act could achieve is a step in the right direction. This is because it can achieve the purpose of putting safety first for the creators of IoT devices as well as its end users.

Final Thoughts On The IoT Cyber Improvement Act

If this act becomes law, it will set the industry in the right direction. This is because IOT device makers will not want to design and manufacture products in accordance to NIST standards. And then, create another design for non-government consumers.

Instead they’ll introduce the government devices to the wider market. This will mean that buyers get better security features with their products.

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